Clock ticking on Timo Time on TSN's Trade Bait Board

The trade deadline is exactly one month today and the clock is ticking on Timo time.

San Jose’s sharpshooting power forward Timo Meier is No. 1 on the TSN Trade Bait Board and sure to attract attention from a plethora of teams before or on deadline day, March 3.

Buffalo, Toronto, Boston, Carolina, New Jersey and the New York Rangers are all projected to have an interest in the 26-year-old who is scoring at a career-high pace this season.

Meier has 28 goals in 51 games which projects to 45 goals over 82 games – 10 more than last year’s 35.

The left-shooting winger and impending restricted free agent is on an expiring contract that requires a $10-million AAV qualifying offer to retain his rights.

Meier is at the head of a potential trade class that lost a high-profile member when Vancouver dealt captain Bo Horvat to the Islanders Monday, for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty and a top 12 protected 2023 first-round pick.

Here are the rest of the top five on TSN’s Trade Bait Board.

- No. 2 Jakob Chychrun, Arizona: The Arizona defenceman has been at the heart of trade speculation for more than a year. His age (24) and contract status (two more years at a cap-friendly $4.6 million) make the left-shot blueliner highly desirable. He has averaged 0.74 points per game since returning from a wrist injury.

- No. 3 Patrick Kane, Chicago: No player on the trade market has as glittering a resume as the 34-year-old Chicago right winger: three Stanley Cups, three berths on the first all-star team, one Art Ross Trophy, Hart Trophy, one Ted Lindsay Award and one Conn Smythe Trophy. But even with six points in his last six games, Kane is scoring at a career-low 0.76 points per game. Chicago’s No. 1 overall pick in 2007 is in the last year of an 8 x $10.5-million contract. Kane has played his entire 16-year NHL career with Chicago and while expectations are he will be dealt, re-upping with the Hawks is not beyond the realm of possibility.

- No. 4 Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis: A broken foot has kept the St. Louis captain out of action since Dec. 31, but the 31-year-old centre is one of the game’s great two-way players. O’Reilly won the Selke Trophy in 2019, kicking off a four-year run of top-five finishes in voting. Even more significant for teams looking for a playoff boost is that O’Reilly won the Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy in 2019. O’Reilly has a history of excellent playoff production, including 12 points in 12 games last season.

- No. 5 Vladimir Tarasenko, St. Louis: The 31-year-old right winger and impending UFA is in the last season of an eight-year, $7.5-million AAV contract. Tarasenko is pointless in his past five games, but had one goal and six assists in his previous five games and has 10-19-29 totals in 38 games . He has had six 30-goal seasons, including 34 in 2021-22.

Driving the trade market this year is expected to be a list of buyers double-digit deep: Toronto, Edmonton, Carolina, the Rangers, Winnipeg, Dallas, Vegas, Tampa Bay, Boston, Colorado, New Jersey, Buffalo, Seattle, L.A. and Minnesota.

As for the sellers, they are led by teams in full rebuild or retool mode, including those with visions of Connor Bedard dancing in their heads: Chicago, Arizona, St. Louis, San Jose, Columbus, Vancouver, Montreal, Anaheim and Philadelphia.

Bedard attracted a crowd of 17,223 to the Calgary Saddledome Wednesday and the Regina Pats’ superstar extended his Western Hockey League point streak to 35 games with a goal and assist, plus the shootout winner.

TSN Trade Bait Board: Feb. 3

NOTE - 2023-24 indicates player’s status beyond 2022-23: UFA, RFA or number of years under contract